I’m part of an email group that discusses children’s literature, and recently there was a conversation about child authors and then more specifically about Christopher Paolini and the derivative nature of his stories. I posted the following, and I thought I’d post it here as well:

Interactive fan culture and gaming seem to be having an effect on the way kids consume stories. Anyone with an internet connection or gaming console can leap into a fantasy world and create characters and adventures of their own.

Middle Earth, in particular, has long become a default fantasy world, a paint-by-number starting point in much the same way as ancient Greek myths or vampire myths. Gaming worlds such as Warhammer and World of Warcraft (and by backward extension, Dungeons & Dragons), with their elegant elves, mountain-dwelling dwarfs, and “evil” orcs, are just two examples. The gravitational pull of Middle Earth is so strong that many fantasy fans are happy not to leave orbit, whether they are participating as creators, consumers, or both. The quality of story in much fan fiction and most video games is highly questionable from a literary point of view, but that’s often beside the point. The point is access to a world, and an open door to make a personal imprint on a fantasy universe you’ve grown to love.

I believe this is an important consideration when deliberating on Paolini’s grand theft tolkein, and particularly when pondering his success. Eragon reads like a meaty piece of fan fiction. And my guess is that part of the success of Eragon, beyond the young author buzz, is that it’s a rags-to-riches tale of a citizen of the Middle Earth fandom.

Personally, I don’t have much patience for derivative fantasy worlds. Life is short, and I’m a slow reader, so I am always looking for something original. Then again, I also don’t have much respect for singers who become famous with songs they didn’t write, and I know I’m in the minority there.

On the other hand, I have a genuine appreciation for straight-up fan fiction and karaoke.

Mischievous Twins Now In 50 Countries!

Chicago, IL August 28, 2007 – Edgar & Ellen^® are using their secret weapon, kid-inspired content, to gather broadcasters and licensees around the world. The twin pranksters recently added MBC3 covering 26 new countries in North Africa, Levant and the Gulf, as well as Nickelodeon, the world’s most widely distributed kids’ channel.

This fall, Edgar & Ellen will launch via Nicktoons Network in the US and Nickelodeon in the UK, followed by international roll-out throughout Europe to France, Italy, Netherlands and Scandinavia. Beginning in 2008, the series will launch in 17 new territories across Asia Pacific, including Australia, New Zealand Korea and Singapore.

Viewers will finally see just how wildly creative the twins can be as fans inspire 10% of the content and receive full credit. Every episode contains a short-form cartoon that is inspired by their global fans via www.edgarandellen.com. The twins, in the most startling trick of all, break through the screen barrier and address their fellow pranksters by name.

While many companies struggle to incorporate user-generated content, Edgar & Ellen is pioneering a multi-layered approach throughout its storytelling. The mischief-makers reach audiences through multiple platforms simultaneously. Avid fans in scores of countries read the books and create content online

The Edgar & Ellen series will be screened at MipCom Jr. To learn more about the Edgar & Ellen property and international licensing opportunities, please contact Susanna Pollack at susanna.pollack@starfarmproductions.com, for television distribution in Europe, Ed Galton at Cake Entertainment, egalton@cakeentertainment.com, and for US licensing opportunities, Lisa Marks & Associates, Inc. (LMA) at LMarks@LMA-Inc.com .

Background Information

Edgar & Ellen^®, for ages 6 to 12, are pranksters extraordinaire who crave outrageous fun. The Edgar & Ellen animated series is produced by Star Farm Productions and Bardel Entertainment in association with YTV. It will air on Nicktoons Network US, YTV Canada, Nickelodeon UK, Nickelodeon International, MBC3, Noga, Nickelodeon NZ, and ABC Kids Australia. This multiple media phenomenon also appears in a six-book series with Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing and as a thriving online community at www.edgarandellen.com. Enjoy the ride and savor the inevitable consequences when each of Edgar & Ellen’s plan backfires!

Star Farm Productions^® creates entertainment the way today’s digital generation consumes it. Star Farm merges user-generated content with mainstream multiple media. Partners include Nickelodeon International, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, Scholastic^®, Activision^®, Mattel^® and other global leaders in the family market.

Nickelodeon is the most widely distributed kids’ network in the world and the only multimedia entertainment brand dedicated exclusively to them. First launched in the US in 1979, Nickelodeon today consists of 35 channels, 19 branded program blocks, 10 mobile TV channels, 33 web sites plus TurboNick, Nickelodeon’s broadband video service in Australia , the US and UK. Most recently Nickelodeon US launched Nicktropolis, a virtual community playground, in January 2007. For more information, see www.nickelodeon.com

For more information, please contact:
Colleen Fahey, SVP Audience Development
Star Farm Productions LLC
colleen@starfarmproductions.com
Phone: 312-226-7130

I’ve not been posting blog entries for a while mainly because I’ve been trying to decide what to be when I grow up. I’ve always wanted this blog to have some sort of professional angle, and to achieve that, I need to determine the professional angle of my life.

This may come as a surprise, considering I’m 35 and on my second career, but I’m not grown up yet. Far from it. Because I haven’t settled on what I want to be.

And my definition of being grown up has always been that grown up people know what they are.

My father was a diesel truck mechanic, and my mother was a deboner in a chicken processing plant.

For the past decade or so, I’ve been a specialist in safe online communities for kids. That involved everything from managing teams of chat room monitors to developing and executing online community strategies to creating online safety educational materials. I wrote some articles, presented at some conferences, and I thought I had grown up.

But in recent years, I’ve managed to switch careers. Now I’m these three things at Star Farm:

1) Associate Director of Development. I help other staffers develop their story ideas into multiple media. My focus is Interactive, meaning I help them develop their stories so that they will work well online and in gaming. This is how I keep one foot in my old career.

2) Visionary. I created a fantasy adventure property for Star Farm. My job now is to continue developing the story across several media, from books to gaming to film, and so on.

3) Writer. I currently spend much of my time writing the books (with a co-author) for the property I created.

When explaining what I do to people, it’s easiest just to say I’m a writer. A person can’t be more than one thing, can he?

In my adult life, I’ve done everything from load wood in a sawmill to directing Online Community at a startup near Wall Street to (now) writing fantasy books for children.

My father was a diesel truck mechanic. But he was also a father, an artist and a storyteller. And a charismatic story-gatherer.

My mother was a deboner, but she was also a mother, a childcare worker, a voracious reader, and a cross-cultural adventurer.

I’m a writer. It’s what I’ve been since I was in my single digits. The difference is that now I have the luxury of doing it as my day job. I’m also a cross-cultural adventurer, voracious reader, a story-gatherer. I’m an armchair sociologist and philosopher, a language geek. I’m a futurist. I’m a lot of things that aren’t going to fit into a neat package and form a single angle.

So I’m going to stop trying, and just write about some of the things that interest me.